I Hurt
by MelindaHP
Summary: A new take on what happened to Bella after the Cullens left her...AN: Again, Jacob-Hater and Cullen-Lover so don't read if you don't hate Jacob/love the Cullens :)
1. Pain

Preface: Pain

(Bella PoV)

My scream cut off in a strangled sob, my body instinctively curling in on myself as the pain flared throughout my body. Spots speckled my vision and there was a roaring in my ears. The pain wouldn't stop, no matter what I did; it continued to lick at my insides, my heart and abdomen. I just prayed to die; it would be a better feat than this torture. My life had no meaning anyway; Edward was gone. My family was gone. I had nothing without them. Nothing else mattered.

I suddenly felt hands on me, one on my side and the other on my cheek. I was about to push them away; I did not want to survive this. But the temperature caught me off guard, making me freeze. I forced myself to open my eyes, focusing firstly on the snowy complexion of my capture. I slowly moved my eyes up and golden eyes met mine. The brown tousled hair was even more in more of a disarray than usual and his topaz eyes were wide with alarm. My body relaxed under his grip, allowing him to hold me down. My body was still curled in a ball, gripping my sides for dear life. The pain still raged on but I didn't fight anymore; I felt safe.

My body slumped against the hospital bed and I gripped the rail tightly. Edward's eyes locked with mine and he saw the emotions I had worked so hard to hide: the fatigue, the hunger, the betrayal, but most of all the pain. I was hurting and he knew it too; he knew he was the cause of it. But, even under it all, while my body cringed from the pain it could no longer take, I was okay…because I hurt for him.

**Hey everyone! Sorry for taking so long to update :( I am working on updates for all my stories but I am having a writer's block plus homework plus college stuff. Hope you forgive me!**

**This idea popped into my head today and I wanted to give you guys something….so here you go :)**

**This will be a multi-chapter so stay tuned! :)**

**~Melinda :) 3**


	2. Visitor

Chapter 1: Visitor

(Carlisle PoV)

I looked up from my ancient book out through the glass of my office window to the Alaskan mountain range. It was peaceful here; at least, the landscape was peaceful. But, since coming to this vast, deserted peninsula of North America, everything had been the opposite of peaceful. My family was being torn apart. By my family. It was strange to think about. My 'eldest' son, Edward, had left his mate, Bella Swan, to protect her from our vampire nature and world. He had left us alone after saying goodbye to her and we had settled with our cousins in Denali, Alaska. My children, though too old to be given such a name, were struggling just much as Esme, my wife, and I were. Emmett was never his happy self anymore, completely sullen. Rosalie had been emotionless in her face and actions since we had left Forks. Alice was no longer cheery and rarely shopped or did anything with any amount of enthusiasm. Jasper was downcast because of the emotions he suffered around him in combination with his own depression, blaming himself for us leaving Bella. Esme and I never smiled at each other anymore; Esme refused to work on any designs anymore and I felt nothing in my books that had given me so much interest before we had left.

Edward, though, Edward was the worst. He chose to stay with us, but he never leaves his room, curled up in a fetal position and dry sobbing for hours on end. It hurt us all to hear and see him like that. He was keeping himself from his mate in order to 'protect' her. None of the rest of us could imagine being away from our mates for that long. All in all, my family was falling apart from the inside out. And all of us knew how to fix it.

We needed Bella back. For the short time she had been in our lives, she had become part of our family forever and absolutely. We needed her to be a family again. But Edward was just too stubborn, too determined to save Bella from himself.

The doorbell rang, jerking me out of my trance. I rose, and the rest of the family joined in me, barely interested in the person at our door. Esme took my hand stiffly as we went to greet the visitor. We opened the door where a young female stood, her blond hair blowing in the harsh wind. She was a vampire; at least, I thought she was. Her scent was definitely vampire-like, but her eyes were an icy pale blue. MY greeting caught in my throat as I tried to make sense of the being before me. She smiled, her expression unhappy.

"Are you the Cullen family?" she asked and the bell of her voice supported the idea that she was vampire still. Her eyes though, threw both Esme and I for a loop.

"Yes. Please, come in." Esme answered her and we moved out of the way to allow the young vampire into the house. She smiled, nodding in thanks as she entered. Her speed was that of a vampire. Her pale eyes flicked around the room quickly, taking in Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper. She turned back to us, her golden hair falling over her shoulder.

"There is one more of you," she stated, no question in her voice. I nodded, my eyes glancing toward the ceiling where I knew Edward would be, curled up but listening.

"Edward, honey, please come down," Esme murmured. There was no answer.

"Son, please," I tried to reason with him. We heard a sigh and then he was at the top of the stairs, looking down at us. He descended slowly, his eyes trained on our guest, eyes confused under the dull pain. The vampire smiled humorlessly again.

"Hello, Edward," she said. He nodded in her direction, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion. I cocked an eyebrow at him, questioning. He shrugged his shoulder trying to not sound interested.

"I am going to assume you are confused about me," the vampire said to the room. All of us stayed silent waiting for her to continue.

"My name is Elena. I have come to right what Edward has done wrong." Her statement caused us all to look at each other. Edward was equally confused.

"Regarding Bella, Edward, your mate," Elena said, eyes locked on Edward. We flinched at Bella's name and Edward eyes went wide. Elena laughed humorlessly at Edward's expression.

"Don't like having your talent turned on you, do you?" she said, "Although, I guess it wasn't much different than Bella."

"How do you know about her?" Alice's voice was soft, reflecting her size as she leaned into Jasper's side. Elena smiled sadly.

"I know a lot about Bella and you all, more than you would think," she answered. She leaned against the back of the couch unnecessarily, eyes boring into Edward's.

"Edward, have you ever seen anyone die of a broken heart?"

**Don't hurt me! I've been really busy so I haven't been able to update! I'm working on it though! I will be able to update the other stories soon! Check them out if you like this story so far! :)**

**BTW, sorry for using the same opening with the other chapters; it just works very well! :)**

**Reviews = updates**

**~Melinda :)**


	3. Shattered

Chapter 2: Shattered

(Carlisle PoV)

The room was silent after Elena's question. Esme whimpered slightly beside me and, looking down at her face, I could tell she knew what Elena meant. Edward was trembling, his eyes wide as Elena's question sunk in. Elena herself was watching Edward, watching unhappily as he quaked at her statement.

"Is Bella…dead?" Alice's voice was small, fearful. Elena looked up at her words and sighed slightly.

"No, but she will be soon. I would give her about 8 hours to live, given that she doesn't try to kill herself first," Elena's voice was grave, no joking present. Edward gasped at the word 'kill', sinking to the ground, holding onto the back of the couch for support. All of us reflected that emotion and I locked eyes with Elena as Esme and Alice began to dry sob.

"What happened?" My demand was hoarse, desperate. Elena met my gaze evenly.

"She keeps having heart attacks, in a sense, where her heart is literally aching and hurting her that she begins to have seizures and loses control of what she's doing because she is in so much pain. You have been gone three weeks; she has not eaten in that time. She has not voluntarily ingested any water; the only reason she is still alive because of an IV or someone forcing it down her throat. She has not slept more than 2 hours straight without waking up. She does not have much time left. Her body is killing itself from the inside out."

Edward had collapsed on the ground by the time she was finished and Esme and Alice were keeping him upright as his entire body shook with emotion, fear, anger, grief, every emotion possible in this moment. We were all horrified, shocked at what our actions had caused. No one quite knew what to do, but I quickly unthawed from my position, the mental clock counting down to the end of my daughter's life. I looked to Elena, who was watching us silently.

"We need to get back to Forks now," I said, "How do we get there in time?" Elena smiled wryly.

"Follow me," she said, bolting outside and into the trees. The family and I were on her tail immediately, following her to a large clearing on the side of the frozen water. A colossal jet sat in the foot high snow, its turbines beginning to spin as we approached. We entered, taking seats in a central area. Elena yelled to the pilot to take off and we were in the air, on our way to save Bella.

* * *

><p>(Edward PoV)<p>

I can't believe what I had done. Bella was on her death bed, because of me. I could only hope we made it in time. My family was tense as we waited for the flight to land; this jet was apparently top of the line, able to go twice as fast as traditional 747's. I hoped it was fast enough to save Bella, my love. We touched in a sooner time than I thought possible. Elena led us out, throwing me a pair of keys. I went for the second car that was parked outside the plane. Jasper, Emmett, and Rose leapt into the back and I gunned the engine, spinning out as I followed the other car out of the forest.

Within minutes, we were pulling into the local hospital in Seattle. Elena flashed a card at the stunned guard, who permitted us all in. Too impatient for the eleveator, we climbed the stairs to the fourth floor. As we opened the door of the stairwell to the main floor, I heard screaming, a familiar sound that chilled my already cie cold body to the core. Elena ran faster now and we fought to keep up with her. We rounded a corner and I stopped dead at the sight before me.

Bella lay on the hospital gurney, her tiny body so thin, curled in on herself, screaming her lungs out. Even this far away, I could see tears streaming down her face. Nurses and a doctor stood around the gurney watching in grief-stricken silence as my love struggled for her life on the bed. Carlisle, Elena, and I leapt forward, ahead of the others.

"Why aren;y they doing anything?" I asked, desperate.

"Bella won't allow anyone to touch her. She would fight them if they even tried to lay a hand on her," Elena said grimly as we arrived at the scene. I laid my hands gently on Bella's burning body, laying one hand on her left cheek and the other between her hands on her side, the apparent source of the pain. She froze under my touch, her eyes flashing open. Her chocolate eyes froze at my face and her body slumped beneath my hands, lifeless. Her eyes filled with tears as she watched me and she struggled to speak.

"Ed-Edw-E-" she croaked, her throat raw from screaming.

"Shhhh," I hushed her, "I'm here, Bella, I'm here." She allowed me to rub my hand down her side and over her stomach.

"Hurts," she whispered, the unshielded pain reflected in her eyes. My dead heart squeezed painfully in response as I leaned forward to press my lips to her forehead gently.

"I know, sweetheart, it'll be ok. I'm here…I'm here."

**HI *waves then hides***

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**~Melinda **


	4. Surgery

Chapter 3: Surgery

(Edward PoV)

Carlisle was the one that intervened, asking the doctor and nurses what they knew. They had no information to give, only that she had been brought in after a supposed crime at her house and she wouldn't let anyone near her. Carlisle asked for permission to treat her, accidently saying he was her father. The doctor and nurses nodded and Carlisle turned to me.

"We need to get her in a room. I need to see what's wrong," he said urgently. I nodded and I walked beside the gurney as Carlisle, Esme, and Elena began to push it down the hallway. I kept my hands where they were on Bella, stroking her skin gently so she knew I was still there. She was gripping my hand with all her strength and my heart broke at how weak she was. We arrived at an empty, private room.

"We need to get her on the bed," Carlisle said as he began searching the room for tools. I nodded, kneeling down slightly so Bella could see me. Her eyes were wide, fearful.

"Bella, I'm going to put you on the bed. Okay?" I murmured. She nodded blindly through her silent tears. Esme and Elena held the gurney steady as I curled my arms underneath her small, fragile body, lifting her from the gurney and laying her gently on the bed. She automatically curled in on herself as Elena raised the bed up to the height of my stomach, allowing me to hold onto Bella without kneeling down. Carlisle had found what he needed and Elena moved out of the way so he could have better access to Bella.

"Bella?" She looked up at her name being called, her eyes wide but dull with pain.

"Daddy," her choked whisper made my heart break and I knew it had the same effect on Esme and Carlisle too. He hushed her, moving to brush his fingers against her cheek in comfort.

"I know, baby girl, I know, but I need to see…" He trailed off. Carlisle kept her focused on him as he approached her and began pulling her hospital gown up. She permitted it. Carlisle felt along her abdomen, stopping when he reached her left hip bone when she gasped and began to struggle.

"Easy, Bella, dear," Esme cautioned gently, "It'll hurt more if you struggle."

Bella didn't listen to her. She writhed and kicked, trying to squirm free. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she whimpered out my name. I could not help my actions; I couldn't just watch her when she was like this. I touched her body, allowing her to adjust to my presence on her skin. She calmed at my touch, the familiarity allowing her relax into the bed sheets. I spoke to her softly, calming her.

"It's okay, Bella," I murmured, "It's fine, I'm here. You're fine. I'm right here." I stroked her tear-stained face lightly with my fingertips, brushing the tears away. She stared up into my eyes; I kissed her forehead before letting go of her, except for her hand, which she held to her face. Carlisle's intake of breath made my head to snap up toward him. His expression was grim and I searched his thoughts frantically. I froze, looking down at Bella in fear. She fed off of my expression and her heart began to speed up.

"It's her appendix; it's ruptured," Carlisle's voice was hollow. He immediately started moving, pulling equipment out of cupboards. I was confused; I searched his mind to find out the meaning behind his actions and growled.

"You can't do it now; she's still conscious!" I protested, my hand stroking Bella's gently. Carlisle met my eyes and his eyes were so pained I couldn't speak.

"I have no choice. I can't move her; it will only make it worse. I need to get it out now before it does even more damage to her. I'll try to be as gentle as possible, but it's either a surgery now without an anesthetic or a worse consequence later on." Carlisle's explanation was right, as I knew it was and I nodded, submitting. Carlisle turned to Elena, who had been standing by Bella's bed next to Esme.

"Do you have a medical degree?" He asked, his eyes frantic. She nodded.

"Several. I can assist," she said, guessing his next question. Carlisle nodded in affirmation and he and Elena began preparing for the surgery. The tools were all available in the room, thankfully. Carlisle turned the light from the ceiling on, angling it at Bella's abdomen. Bella was terrified; her eyes conveyed that much. Hesitantly, I pulled Bella's hospital gown up, revealing her bare torso and white underwear. She stared at me in shock and fear, her body beginning to shake. Esme and I pulled the bed rails down and we sat in a pair of swivel chairs on either side of Bella's bed. I grasped Bella's hand gently but securely, kissing the back of it, my eyes never leaving her. Esme took Bella's other hand, rubbing her thumb along Bella's skin in what little comfort she could provide.

"Edward, I'm going to need you to hold her legs down when I make the first cut. She will fight it," Carlisle said grimly as Elena and he finished preparing, pulling a pair of medical gloves. They snapped audibly in the silent room and Bella whimpered. I stood up from the stool, the hand holding Bella's reaching up to press delicately to her forehead while the other lay on the top of her thighs, ready to pin her down if necessary. I kissed her forehead softly before standing upright again.

"We won't let anything happen to you, Bella," I promised her and, though her eyes betrayed her, she nodded against the white sheets. Elena laid a towel underneath Bella's lower body quickly before joining Carlisle as he made to begin. I looked away from the scalpel he held, locking eyes with my love. She watched me evenly, her eyes wide before scrunching up in pain. She kicked her legs but I held her down, my heart shattering as she screamed. I knew I would be crying with her, if possible, just for seeing her in this amount of pain. But, I held strong, talking to her softly as her screams choked off with a gurgled sob. Carlisle and Elena worked swiftly, easily making an incision and pulling out Bella's appendix. I didn't watch though; I kept my gaze on Bella, aching to cradle her as tears streamed from her eyes.

They were done in minutes, working at vampire speed. Carlisle quickly stitched the incision closed and Elena dressed it as quickly with gauze and medical tape. They finished by washing the area with hydrogen peroxide. Bella was breathing better and dared to look down at the sight. Carlisle smiled at her when she did and she smiled back tiredly. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead affectionately.

"You did so well, sweetheart. You're so brave," he murmured. Bella snorted delicately, barely audible and slouched back into the hospital bed, eyelids drooping. I pulled her hospital gown over her again and pulled the bed rails back up, sitting beside her and laying her hand against my cheek. Bella's eyes opened at my touch and she watched me for a moment before moving her fingers to stroke my cheek. I leaned into her touch, turning slightly to kiss her hand.

"You came back," her exhausted whisper was barely audible to me but I heard it, as I'm sure my parents and Elena could too. I nodded to her statement.

"I should have never left in the first place," I murmured, closing my eyes guiltily in response. I heard her sigh and I looked up to see her smiling slightly. Her hand dropped from my cheek to my neck, cupping there and working to pull me forward. I obeyed, leaning toward her. She leaned forward more and our lips met. The kiss was sweet, gentle, but filled with so much love that I thought I might choke under all the emotion. When we broke apart for her to breathe, I brought my lips to her forehead, leaning my head into her forehead. I lifted her slowly, pulling her into my lap where she tucked her head under my chin. I rocked us gently as she drifted off to sleep in my arms, the three adult vampires watching us contentedly.

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